The Human Impact of Software
http://www.developerdotstar.com/oldbrowser/mag/articles/read_impact.html

Read, Daniel
developer.star
2001

Abstract:

Software is not just an abstraction that exists in isolation. When I write code, it's not just about me, the code, the operating system, and the database. The impact of what I do when I develop software reaches far beyond those things and into people's lives.